Fuel-laden tankers continue to threaten safety in Lusaka’s Industrial Area, Zambian Breweries has warned.
The trucks surrounded the company’s brewery in Mungwi Road earlier this week in what has become a regular re-occurring problem despite on-going dialogue with the authorities to find a solution.
The trucks – often parked two-abreast along both sides of the road – endanger the innocent, lives and property of road users, the general public, companies located in the industrial area and Zambian Breweries employees, and threaten the safety of the plant, the company has warned.
Zambian Breweries Country Director Jose Moran said some fuel trucks have been in the area for more than two weeks, with lack of ablution blocks for drivers adding an additional health risk as drivers set up makeshift camps, lighting cooking fires near the flammable fuel and using the roadside as a toilet.
Mr. Moran expressed concern over the matter as some trucks parked less than five metres away from the company’s boundary wall.
“We are appealing to relevant stakeholders to intervene as the fleet is too close to our premises and if the situation prolongs, we will have to consider suspending operations in order to ensure the safety of our employees, as we have done before,” he said.
Mr. Moran added that the trucks are also clogging traffic, posing a threat to pedestrians, public service vehicles and all those using Mungwi and Buyantanshi Roads.
He said this week’s chaos is a repeat of similar situations that have occurred periodically in the last three years, during which time the company appealed to Government and relevant stakeholders for a lasting solution addressing the unsafe parking of fuel trucks in the area.
And Zambian Breweries Corporate Affairs Director Ezekiel Sekele confirmed that an engagement process is on-going to address the issue between the company and stakeholders including Lusaka City Council, the Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Zambia Police and the area Member of Parliament.
According to The Petroleum Act chapter 435 of the Laws of Zambia, dangerous petroleum should be stored in a secure building large enough to ensure a clear space of 1,524 metres in width around the shed or sheds.
A clear space of at least 91 meters in width must be left between storage sheds on the same plot.
Kilometres sampa where are you? Busy not paying your bill at some restaurant or busy putting up billboards outside Lusaka? And bowman lusambo where are you? Timekeeping or checking police road blocks and brothels?
The whole of Lusaka city is a health and safety risk waiting to happen.You clearly never learned form the recent deadly cholera epidemic.
If it they do not carry premarked ballot papers in the head of HAKAINDE MENTAL, they may probably be fine.
The whole idea of MENTAL being an H-opposition leader is a health hazard and deadly cholera epidemic.
They are waiting for the president to visit the area and then you will see all ministers taking action including traditional minister. Zambians
Good point of observation, Zambia Breweries.
The laden tankers are not the only culprits. Your Breweries transporters too are constantly parked on a newly built road which is slowly weakening the road.
So besides the dangers mentioned here, the life span of Old Mungwi road to Lusaka West is endangered too.
Point to Consider Mr Mayor and government inn general.
Please, let us not wait for the president himself to give orders on this.